15.4" Wxga Nb Barebone

by MSI

Product Details

• Item Weight: 9.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001DC2RHI
• Item model number: 163K44-001US
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

MS-163K (PR601) Barebones Notebook with 15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) Display; s Intel Penryn 45nm socket P mobile processors; Intel GM45 + ICH9-M Chipset; Intel embedded GMA X4500 Graphics; DDR2 667/800 SO-DIMM x 2 slots 4GB max.; SD/MMC/MS 3-in-1 Card Reader; s SATA Hard Drive; Built-in Super-Multi Drive (supports DVD RAM); Built-in Realtek 8111C Gigabit LAN + 56K Modem; s Intel PCI-Express mini card (5100 Full/Half Size); 1.3 MP Webcam; Full size x 1 Full/Half size x 1 PCI-e mini-slots; Azalia interface ALC888 Audio; 6-cell Li-Ion Battery & 19V DC 65-watt AC Adapter. Express Card slot 15-pin VGA port 4x USB 2.0 MIC-in Headphone out RJ11 Modem RJ45 Network.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decently priced 15.4" Notebook, February 2, 2009

By 

Electrosoft "Techtonic" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 15.4" Wxga Nb Barebone (Personal Computers)

This ia a decent barebones notebook which was actually branded a ZT Systems notebook.

Unlike other MSI products (MSI-1651 (GX620), MSI-1722 (GX720), I found the build quality, most notably the keyboard, a little flimsy and loose with too much give and poor key travel.

Unlike their 1651, this unit is extremely light. In addition, like their bigger counterparts, it does use the newest Intel mobile chipset but lacks a dedicated GPU. Instead, it uses Intel's integrated 4500 graphics chipset. While it will get you by in a pinch (It will play World of Warcraft, with settings to low), it is very underpowered for any real modern gaming.

The unit ran very quiet and fully supports both Windows XP and Vista which is a plus. Drivers are available on MSI's homepage for both operating systems.

The audio was adequate, but headphones would be a better choice. The webcam was average.

Note, this unit does not support a Quad Core CPU, but will support the T9400, T9600, T9800, P8400, P8600 processors no problem.

The onboard 5100 AGN Intel WiFi adapter is half sized and did have adequate signal pickup, albeit the 5300 half size I swapped in was much better, never dropped signals and had at least 1 more bar of power at all times. Note: This barebones only comes with 2 antennae leads (2x2), so you will need to order a 3rd antennae.

The actual plastic build of this laptop isn't nearly as solid as MSI's other products and you have to be careful pulling off the rear covers as they are a tad flimsy and may stress if not careful.

The 1200x800 (WXGA) resolution was acceptable, but if you're used to higher screen real-estate (WXGA+, WSXGA, etc...), you will feel very cramped. Expect to do some scrolling both vertically and horizontally on some web pages.

In summary, if you're on a budget, want a quiet unit which doesn't consume much power (due to the integrated GPU and smaller power requirements overall), this is a passable unit.

If you plan on doing any type of real gaming or want to display full web pages, look elsewhere.